Kerala: Education dept faces flak for ‘monitoring’ Plus-II schools as academic year draws to a close

The circular by the higher secondary wing mentions that Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for the exercise and that travel allowance and dearness allowance (TA /DA) will be paid for the monitoring committee members.
Image used for representational purposes only
Image used for representational purposes only
Updated on
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The general education department has come in for flak for hurriedly constituting committees from among principals at the fag end of the academic year to ‘monitor’ the functioning of higher secondary schools under the Enhancement of Academic Programme (EAP).

As per a recent circular issued by the higher secondary wing of the department, state and district-level ‘monitoring committees’ have been constituted for the task. While senior officials of the higher secondary wing comprise the state-level committee, the district-level panel includes select principals from government and aided schools.

Prior to the visit of the district-level teams, principals of the schools were given a detailed questionnaire seeking details of the infrastructure and other facilities in their institutions. The monitoring teams will visit the schools to check if the details given in the documents are correct, on the lines of what the District Educational Officers (DEO) do in schools up to Class X.

However, a section of teachers have objected to the decision to carry out the exercise at the end of January when schools are busy with the Plus-II model examinations. They have also questioned the credentials for selecting the principals in the panel with some alleging that they were chosen based on their affiliation to pro-Left teachers’ unions.

The circular also mentions that Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for the exercise and that travel allowance and dearness allowance (TA /DA) will be paid for the monitoring committee members.

“The circular lays more stress on the TA/DA aspect than the objectives that the exercise intends to fulfil,” said Manoj S of Aided Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association.

Meanwhile, the higher secondary wing of the department said the visit of the monitoring teams, scheduled in the beginning of the academic year, was delayed owing to an earlier government directive to put on hold the spending of plan funds until further orders. “EAP is carried out using plan funds and we decided to carry out the exercise after the government relaxed the conditions,” said Shajitha S, joint director (academic), higher secondary wing.

A total of Rs 3 crore has been earmarked for various heads under EAP and the visit of the monitoring committee is only one part of the whole process, she said. “The visits will also ensure that the funds allocated by the government are spent properly and the objectives are fulfilled,” the official said and added that steps will be taken to conduct the exercise in a timely manner from the next academic year.

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